Two Joshua Tree residents were arrested after the robbery of a pizza delivery person. Sheriff’s Sergeant Rick Millard said Wednesday evening at 4:40, Arthur Garrido, 29, ordered pizza to be delivered to his residence in the 7400 block of Sherwood in Joshua Tree. When the pizza was delivered, Garrido argued with the driver over the amount of change he was given. Garrido then threatened the driver and robbed him of the pizza and an undisclosed amount of money. Deputies developed evidence that identified Garrido and Elizabeth Silva, 29, as suspects. After an exhaustive, ongoing investigation, deputies contacted and arrested Garrido and Silva yesterday for investigation of strong-arm robbery. They were transported to the Morongo Jail where Arthur Garrido was booked for investigation of strong-arm robbery. Elizabeth Silva was booked for accessory to robbery and possession of stolen property. Silva was also booked on a probation violation. Both Garrido and Silva are both being held on $100,000 bail each.

Fire fighters in Yucca Valley responded to two residential fires this morning and yesterday. About 3:05 this morning, Yucca Valley fire fighters found smoke coming from the front door in a middle unit of a multi-unit residential complex in the 57000 block of Yucca Trail, near the MBTA transfer station. Fire Captain Rick Denison said the resident had been charging a lithium battery for a remote-control car in the wrong type of battery charger, and the battery exploded, starting the fire in the kitchen. Fire fighters were able to knock down the fire quickly, with just minor damage to the home.

About 6:40 last night, fire fighters went to a home in the 6900 block of La Habra Avenue where they found a garage on fire. The residents had stored items too closely to the water heater in the garage and the items caught on fire. The flames spread in to the living room. Captain Denison said the residents closed all the doors in the house, including into the garage, and escaped safely. The garage was destroyed in the fire; and while the structure was saved, it is unlivable due to the utilities being turned off from the fire. Denison added that neither home had working smoke detectors, which could have alerted the residents sooner to the fires.

The Twentynine Palms High School Select Choir was notified this past spring that it had been invited to participate in a multi-day workshop in New York City next April, a trip that would culminate in a performance in Carnegie Hall. In part 2 of a two-part report on the choir, assignment reporter Taylor Thacker talked with music director Michael Mayes about how the students are trying to raise the funds to make the trip….

At first, Music Director Michael Mayes thought he wouldn’t be able to raise enough funds to go on the multi-day workshop in New York City. “Approximately $56,000 in order to go.” But after talking to the school board and other teachers and community members, he decided to accept the invitation. “We have been doing a ton of fundraisers including cheesecake sales, coffee sales, sponsor letters, a lot of performances throughout the community.”Mayes and the TPHS Select Choir are going to need everyone’s help if they wish to accomplish the difficult task of raising enough funds for the trip. “With the help of our community, we’re going to make this happen.” For more information call 760-361-5306.

A Radiothon to help the choir raise the money for their travel expenses will be held tomorrow from noon until 5 here on Z107.7. Morongo Basin residents are asked to call in and make a pledge or bring in their checks in to help the deserving group get to Carnegie Hall.

The Hi-Desert Water District and County Fire Station 42 in Yucca Mesa will host an urban search and rescue team next week for some training we don’t normally see in the desert. For three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the urban search-and-rescue team will hold a live trench rescue drill, in which they’ll be faced with a 60-foot long by 2-foot wide by 8-foot deep trench. Team members will have to shore up the trench, so that they can enter safely and conduct a mock rescue in the trench. They’ll be faced with different hazards, including collapse, entrapment, and utility hazards.

Open auditions will be held this Monday for the second show of the 2014 season at Theatre 29. Managing editor Tami Roleff invites aspiring performers to join the fun and try out…

Auditions for the second show of Theatre 29’s 2014 season will be held Monday. Theatre 29 veteran Marty Neider will be directing “A Farndale Murder Mystery: Murder at Checkmate Manor” and needs four women and one man for the fast-paced comedic farce. She is looking for actors who can speak with an English accent and who have good comedic timing. Rehearsals will be from January 14 through February 27. Opening night is February 28, and the show will run through March 27 with two Sunday matinees. Auditions will be held 6 p.m. Monday at Theatre 29, 73637 Sullivan Road in Twentynine Palms. Anyone interested in building sets, lighting and sound, and working backstage should also attend the auditions.

There are many homeless veterans in the Morongo Basin who are lacking the necessities to keep them warm and fed. A new organization, Vets Cruzin for a Cause, is collecting jackets, blankets, and food to distribute to these homeless vets. If you have old jackets, blankets, and food you can spare, call Kevin at 760-368-8715, to make arrangements to donate to help an American hero who has fallen on hard times.

It’s opening night tonight at Theatre 29 for the first show of the Morongo Basin’s Premiere Theater venues’ 15th season. Reporter Taylor Thacker says the gala opening night is sponsored by a hard-working local service club…..

Soroptimist International of Twentynine Palms will host the opening night of the first show of Theatre 29’s 2014 season, “The Importance of Being Ernest”, by Oscar Wilde. Opening night has been set for Friday, January 10, at the Theatre 29 complex at 73637 Sullivan Road in Twentynine Palms. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. “The Importance of Being Ernest” is a tale of lost and found love and objects. The story centers on country gentleman Jack Worthing, who invents a younger brother, Ernest, whom he pretends to be when he visits the city. This, along with a city-based friend’s invention of a poor relative, leads to a multitude of confusion over identity. The scenes are ripe for much farce and hilarity. Tickets to the opening night gala only are $25 each and are available from any Soroptimist or at the Flower Garden in Twentynine Palms. Proceeds from the evening will benefit Soroptimist International projects. For more information call 760-361-4151.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Joshua Tree will host a chili cook-off tonight. Drop off your chili at the Post, 6402 Veterans Way, by 3 p.m., and stop by from 4 to 6 to enjoy a bowl of your favorite chili. Sunday’s breakfast from 8 to 11 is a pork chop special plus the full menu. And don’t forget Taco Wednesday from 11 to 1.

The Andromeda Astronomical Society Meeting will be held tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 at the Yucca Mesa Community Center; 3133 Balsa Ave., Yucca Valley. The meeting will be devoted to discussing what members want. Set up dates and suggestions for upcoming club meetings, star parties, and Starry Nights. Your opinions and participation is welcome and needed. This meeting is open to everyone. They look forward to meeting new friends and getting reacquainted with old ones.

The second Monday of January is the day for most of the monthly distributions of surplus federal food in the Morongo Basin. Reporter Dan Stork has the times and places…

The Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino will distribute surplus food to low-income residents of the Morongo Basin Monday, January 13. The locations and times are: The Church of the Lighted Cross, at 11518 Elbow Lane in Morongo Valley, from 8 to 10; Belfield Hall, on Reche Road in Landers, 8:30 to 10:30; the Community Center in Yucca Valley, 8:30 to 10:30; Copper Mountain Mesa Foundation, 65336 Winter Road in the Copper Mountain area, 9 to 11; Joshua Tree Community Center on Sunburst Road, 9 to 11; the fire station in Wonder Valley, 11 to 12; and Little Church of the Desert at 6079 Adobe Road in Twentynine Palms, from 10 to noon.

Recipients are requested to bring their own paper or plastic bags. The Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to serve the low-income families, elderly, disadvantaged and homeless of the county. For more information, call 909-723-1580.

The Twentynine Palms High School Interact Club will serve a Tamale Pie and Dessert for the Food for Life meal at Little Church of the Desert Community Hall in Twentynine Palms from 3 to 5 p.m. tomorrow. There is no charge.

Desert Congregational Church in Twentynine Palms will hold a Saturday Night Church tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Musicians of all types are invited to come and play country, bluegrass, and gospel music. The church is located at 5688 Sunrise Road. Call 760-361-0086 for a free ride to the church, or Bob Pilgrim at 760-367-9429 for more information.

Science Saturdays continues tomorrow at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum in Yucca valley. Reporter Taylor Thacker joins us once again with details…..

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum continues their popular education program, Science Saturdays, with exciting topics to start off the new year. On Saturday, January 11, from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., the topic will be rocks. Rocks and minerals may seem like simple everyday items to some people since they appear in such abundance. However, they can be extremely complex due to their specific qualities. Did you know some rocks and minerals can cut glass or glow under UV light? Join Museum Educator Crystal Mason as she teaches all the basics of rock and mineral identification. Children are suggested to be school age for this program. Science Saturdays are held at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum and are free of charge and require no preregistration. For more information call 760-369-7212.